If You Don't Run, Then There's No One to Chase
by MADAM BETH
Summary: Woody relates a childhood lesson to Jordan in hopes that it might finally allow her to stop funning from his advances....


Not mine, can't begin to tell you what I'd do with em' if they were….

Summary: Woody relates a childhood lesson to the games Jordan plays with him… 

If You Don't Run, Then There's No One to Chase 

            This morning I woke up to an interesting revelation. I mean, I've woken to some pretty interesting thoughts before, but they usually have something to do with things like wondering if murderers stop at red lights, or if it's possible to breathe through your eyeballs. Stuff like that. But today I had an interesting thought after a dream involving my childhood, pertained to a reality very relevant to my present. I hopped out of bed and pulled on a pair of track pants and an undershirt and hopped on my way to the door as I pulled on my cross trainers. I wasn't thinking, just driving. When I finally stopped, I looked around to find myself in front of Jordan's building. Then brain function returned and I tried to remember why I was there. I took a deep breath, turned off the engine, and slid out of the car. I approached the door slowly and then buzzed Jordan's apartment. I waited for her hesitant response. 

"Hello?" She asked cautiously over the intercom. I smiled and answered. 

"Can Jordan come out and play?" I asked teasingly. I could hear the smile in her voice as she answered. 

"Sure, why not, cleaning can wait till Sunday." She said and I sat down on the steps to wait for her. 

A few minutes later, I turned when the door opened behind me. Jordan stepped out, dressed in a pair of Adidas track pants and a navy and red Red Sox tee on. I smiled up at her from the ground. 

"How do you know I wasn't some axe murderer trying to lure you out onto the street so I could drag you away and kill you somewhere?" I asked as I stood up and brushed some gravel off my backside. 

Jordan rolled her eyes and patted me on the shoulder. 

"Because axe murderers don't typically sound like they're selling Girl Scout cookies?" she suggested with a smirk as she started to walk brusquely down the city sidewalk. I nodded slowly in understanding. 

"Ahhhh…I see." I said and started playfully after her. When I caught up to her, I suggested we head over to Franklin Park. 

"Are you asking me to take you to the zoo, fella?" She asked and I smiled.   
  


"Not up for hiking today, Jordan?" I asked hoping that she would suggest a more meandering-type walking park today. 

"How bout…Jamaica Pond today?" She suggested. I happily complied. 

I decided to wait until we got to the park to tell her about my revelation. It was a beautiful May morning and I stopped at a vendor on the way to the park and grabbed us each a lemonade. 

I could tell Jordan was getting suspicious since I was letting her do most of the talking. To my own credit, it wasn't like I was being subtle about my introversion. I was usually like a hyperactive cocker spaniel around Jordan. 

"So what's the real reason you've whisked me away to go walking at…"She looked at her sports watch briefly to check the time. "nine A.M.?" she asked and I smiled, looking off in the direction of the park. I could just hear the far off screeching of children on the playground and the bright yellows, blues, greens, and purples of playground equipment were coming into focus for me. 

"Just…well, I've been doing some thinking lately Jordan." I said and she tried to shake off my serious tone. 

"Uh-oh…nothing good ever follows that sentence." She said as we were crossing the crowded Saturday street. 

I busied myself with the traffic in order to get a little closer to the park without having to blow my cover. When we were finally in sight of the park, I sighed. 

"I've been thinking about…you…and…and me…" I said and panic flashed briefly across Jordan's face. 

"Oh." She said falling behind a little and I slowed to wait for her. She quickened up a little and I couldn't help it. I laughed. 

Jordan stopped and stared at me as I continued over towards the bright new swings on the playground.

 I slumped down into one, got over the initial shock of realizing that I actually still fit in a swing, and the beckoned Jordan over to sit with me. She sighed, her face serious now as she surrendered to the hopelessness that went with continuing to ride the Woody and Jordan express, as I liked to think of it. It was an odd little locomotive. Never really went anywhere in particular, just continued around the same never ending oval track. She slumped next to me and slowly pushed herself back and forth with her feet, which were securely nestled into the deep grooves made proudly by the tedious work of hundreds upon hundreds of little feet over the past few years. My legs were too long to bend in any kind of position where they would fit into the little grooves under my swing so I pushed from the still prospering grassy area just in front of the dirt. There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence. 

"So……" Jordan said beckoning me to speak with her hands. "You wanted to talk. So talk." She said and pushed herself a little harder with her feet and began to full-scale swing. 

I reached out and grabbed the chain of her swing, causing her to come in a little crookedly for a shaky stop. She narrowed her eyes at me. 

"So do you think that you could sit still while I do this?" I asked and Jordan shamefully pushed her hair behind her ears and nodded silently. I let go of her swing and held onto the chains of my own instead.   
"I wanted to…to ask you a question…" I said and Jordan looked over at me and nodded silently again, giving me the go-ahead. I looked around for a moment and then sighed. 

"Are you tired of running yet?" I asked suddenly and Jordan seemed confused. 

"We…we weren't running Wood…" She said and smiled coyly. I shook my head without smiling so that she would know that wasn't what I was talking about. 

Jordan settled into her swing. She was waiting for an explanation. 

"Alright, well what I mean is. When I was a little kid, I think it was first grade; we always used to play tag on the playground at recess. And there was always this one little girl who didn't wanna play. At least that's what she said." 

I looked to Jordan and she was listening attentively. I went on. 

"Well, see, the thing was, she would always kinda stand off to the side while we were playing and you could never really be sure that she didn't wanna play. So we would try to get her in on the game every once in a while. I chased her one time, and I remember she started screaming and yelling for me to stop but she was still smiling. And then, my teacher said something to her that…well, I still remember it right now. She said, "Megan (that was the girl's name) if you stop running, then there's no one to chase." And I remember thinking…that…that…my teacher was totally right. And also that this girl didn't really want me to stop chasing her and that was why she continued to run. Because being chased was easier to deal with and it was more fun than if I actually caught her. To this little girl, the chase was more fun than the end of it."  I stopped to gage Jordan's reaction and see if she was getting the point. When I looked at her she was staring down at the ground but she was smiling reflectively. I leaned forward a little to catch her attention. When she realized that I had stopped, her eyes lost their glazy look and she turned them up to me. 

"So, what I'm asking you I guess, is…are you running because it's more fun then stopping, or are you running for real…because you don't want to be caught?" I asked and waited for Jordan to answer. She actually took the time to think about it for a few minutes. She looked off over the playground at some kids playing on a jungle gym. Those were a few gut wrenching minutes for me, I'll tell ya. Then, finally, she turned back to me and smiled. 

"You think you've got me figured out to a tee don't you?" she asked and I didn't know how to respond. So I just said what was in my heart. I stood from my swing and dropped to my knees in front of Jordan. I took her face with one hand and made her look at me. 

"Well, don't I, Jordan?" She opened her mouth to respond and I cut her off. "I mean, is that or is that not what you're doing with me Jordan? You run, I chase…isn't that how it goes? Round and round, never to end? Don't say anything just answer me that question, please, are you tired of running yet?" I asked and Jordan searched my eyes. Then she looked around again before looking aback at my eyes. 

" I don't know how to answer that Woody, I don…" I stopped her.

"Please, don't make this a complicated thing Jordan. Please, with all of the complicated things we have going on between us, don't make this a complicated question. Just…answer it…please…" I said pleading. Jordan sighed. 

"Yes, I am tired of running. And…a lot of why I run is because…well, isn't it kinda fun to you too, Wood? I mean, you tease with me. You like the games too and don't tell me you don't. So why am I being questioned here? I think that you should have to answer the same question…so answer it. Are YOU tired of chasing me?" She asked and crossed her arms in front of her.  I thought for a moment. Then I sighed in frustration. 

"Yes, Jordan I am tired of chasing you. So tired that I think I might stop. I can't run after you forever you know?" I asked and Jordan looked concerned for the first time that morning. 

"Does….does that mean you met someone?" she asked and I looked over the crowd of strolling people. I thought for a minute deciding whether to tell her or not. 

"Maybe…yes." I said finally. Jordan's head snapped up in shock. 

"So…have you, are you…."She didn't finish, just rang her hands together and looked at the ground again. 

"No, no…I haven't initiated anything with her yet. She lives in the apartment below me, all we've done is talk a few times…but…I think that she wants it to go further…and I need to know if I should …stop trying to catch you or if you think you might be done running from me." I looked off again and then remembering something, interjected again. 

"And I don't want you to say you want something to happen with us just because you don't like sharing." I said with a smile and Jordan snorted a laugh through her nose and rolled her eyes. She thought quietly for a few moments. 

"Could…can I relate a story to you with which to explain?" She asked. I nodded and she continued. Jordan smiled and began. 

"Well, when I was a little girl, I had this friend named Cliffy Laughton who lived 4 houses down. Cliffy was my best friend when I was 5. We used to play together every day and in the summer we camped out in this little tent on his back porch. We spent ALL of our time together. Then, one day in June, Cliffy told me he was moving to Philly. His dad got transferred there for work and they were leaving in a week. I was heartbroken. He was my best friend in the whole world and he was leaving me. Now, I don't blame Cliffy for all of the intimacy issues I have, but he was just the first of many guys to just pass through my life. I kind of got used to it. So I tried not to get really close to any boys in school, I had only like 2 really good guy friends, and you know, it just…carried over into my adult life. I didn't intend to be like this Woody, it just happened." She finished with a sigh. 

I nodded as I tried to understand. 

"Okay, so…my name isn't Cliffy, Jordan…. and I am gonna go out on a limb and guess that I'm the first guy you ever met in your life named Woodrow Wilson Hoyt." I said with a chuckle and Jordan nodded with a chuckle in response. I decided for Jordan to really believe me, I'd have to stick with being serious from here on out. So I did. 

"Really, Jordan, I promise you. And you know I am a man of my word, I promise you that if you will try and trust me, if you just give me a chance, I will prove to you that I am in this for the long haul." I took her chin with my fingertips and tilted her head so she was looking me in the eyes as I crouched in front of her. "I won't ever let you down, Jordan. I can say that because…well…I think that I've fallen in love with you…and that isn't something I thought could happen after well…after some stuff I left behind in Kewaunee." When I finished I searched her eyes. She was damn good. She wasn't giving up a thing. Then, all of a sudden, she smiled. I was surprised that she didn't laugh as she leaned forward to kiss me and my eyes widened in genuine astonishment. 

She held my lips in hers until I pulled back a little and seized her lips with my own. We both smiled against each other's lips. Jordan finally pulled back after about a minute and scanned the playground with just her eyes. I looked at her puzzled and then looked around myself. I smiled as I looked at the pint-sized crowd we had attracted. There were about 8 or 9 small kids all standing with their arms crossed watching us and chuckling. Some with their hands over their mouths in embarrassed attempts to conceal their laughter, some chattering to each other. I smiled at them and Jordan stood and took my hand. She pulled me up to my feet and kissed me again. The kids all giggled and the chattering rose up again. Jordan smiled playfully and then turned and pulled me along side of her as she headed for the pond. 

"There all yours." She said to the kids, who in turn, all charged for the swing set. I walked quietly beside Jordan as we reached the bank of the pond. Jordan sat down at the edge and took off her running shoes. I tried not to let her see my ironic smile as I sat down next to her and removed my own shoes. I placed my feet into the chilly water first and Jordan cautiously followed suit. We both swung our feet back and forth through the water as if still on the swings and Jordan scooted closer to me and laid her head on my shoulder. 

"Woody? What happened in Kewaunee?" she asked after a minute or two.  I sighed heavily. Well, I had wanted her to start asking more questions to get to know me. I old her about Annie and her dad, the sheriff, and how he didn't want his daughter to marry a cop.   
"So then what did you?" Jordan asked lifting her head from my shoulder to look into my face. 

"I…left. I left and moved to Boston." I said and Jordan laid her head back down on my shoulder. 

"Hmmm…interesting that you should leave there, move to the city and meet a cop's daughter who has been fixed up with half the force." She said and I could feel her smile against my chest. I wrapped my arm around her and nodded in agreement as I heard "tag! You're it!!" yelled somewhere over my shoulder from the little crowd behind us. 

"Yep, pretty interesting." I said and lay my cheek down on the top of Jordan's head as she slyly began to splash ponds water at me with her feet. I splashed back and Jordan laughed when I misaimed and splashed water right into my own face. 

THE END…………………….R&R please…I thrive on it!! 

(And I promise Pictures Never Lie 5 will be up soon, it's just this stupid class thing I have to go to everyday that is getting in the way!!) 


End file.
